Williams Stuns Montgomery at Track Event

Published 8:00 pm, Thursday, June 19, 2003

In just about one second, Tim Montgomery's tough year had almost turned disastrous.

He stumbled in the first few strides of the 100-meter final at the U.S. track and field championships Friday night, and was forced to touch the track with his hand to keep from falling.

The world's fastest man looked like he wasn't even going to qualify for the world championships this summer. Then he regained his balance, caught up with the field and passed everyone except Bernard Williams.

Though he failed to win the national title, Montgomery salvaged his spot on the U.S. team for the world championships _ where he'll try to dethrone his archrival, three-time defending champion Maurice Greene.

"My stride was kind of choppy. I lengthened my stride, and that's when I lost it. I touched the ground," Montgomery said. "Then I just closed my eyes and ran."

Williams won in 10.11 seconds. Montgomery was second in 10.15, followed by Jon Drummond. They all qualified for the world championships in Paris in August, along with Greene.

It was the second cause for celebration in the last few weeks for Williams, whose daughter, Jadin, was born in early May.

"I was kind of hungry," he said. "My daughter, she needs the Pampers."

Kelli White won the national title in the women's 100 in 10.93, the fastest time in the world this year. Torri Edwards was second and two-time Olympic 100 champion Gail Devers was third in a race missing Marion Jones.

Montgomery broke Greene's world record last year in Paris with a time of 9.78, and will get a chance to dethrone him as world champ in August.

Though he obviously would have liked to head into the summer as U.S. champion, Montgomery said he was fortunate just to qualify for the world championships after stumbling on his third stride Friday night.

"I was ready to run, but some things aren't meant to happen at certain times," he said. "I lost the battle but I can still win the war."

Montgomery's defeat in the 100 was yet another setback in what has been a tough year for the world record-holder.

He has faced the pressures of being the world's fastest man, of preparing for parenthood with the world's fastest woman, and of being criticized for associating with a coaching pariah.

Montgomery and girlfriend Jones broke with coach Trevor Graham early this year and then began a controversial flirtation with disgraced coach Charlie Francis _ who was connected to steroid use by Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson in the 1980s.

Jones and Montgomery quickly ended their relationship with Francis after criticism from international and U.S. track officials, but not before having their image tarnished _ and their judgment questioned.

They still don't have a coach, and it showed Friday night. Montgomery said he hopes to name a new coach next week.

"This race, I definitely needed some help," he said.

While Montgomery will be competing in Paris, Jones will not. She and Montgomery are preparing for the birth of a child in July.

Her absence at the U.S. championships was expected to leave the field wide open in the women's 100, in which Jones is a four-time national champion. But White turned the event into a one-woman show.

White, who also posted the fastest times in Thursday's first round and in the semifinals earlier Friday night, pulled away from the field to win by a whopping two-tenths of a second.

The biggest surprise among the women's qualifiers was the 36-year-old Devers, who had run just one competitive 100 since the 2000 U.S. Olympic trials. She was Olympic champion in the event in 1992 and 1996.

Other men's winners Friday included Jamie Nieto in the high jump, Dwight Phillips in the long jump, James Parker in the hammer throw, Tim Broe in the 5,000 and Kevin Eastler in the 20-kilometer walk.

Other women's winners were Kristin Heaston in the shot put, Erica Wheeler in the javelin and Shelia Burrell in the heptathlon. Marla Runyan won the national title in the 5,000 for the third straight year.